ISLAMABAD: An association of major contractors across the country have complained of alleged harassment and victimisation by the National Account­ability Bureau (NAB) by treating audit objections as criminal cases.

The All Pakistan Contractors Association (Apca) in a letter, whose copy is available with Dawn, asked NAB chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal to ensure fair and transparent probe into mega development projects and expressed the fear that undue harassment and hurdles in uplift projects could squeeze local investment in the country.

It demanded that local investigators be asked to segregate contractual disputes and audit objections from criminal proceedings.

Says investigators are treating audit objections as criminal cases

Quoting the example of Multan Metro bus project, Apca stated that despite meeting all legal requirements and procedures, a group of contractors engaged in the project were being harassed and victimised. “The construction sector of Pakistan extends its all-out support and cooperation to NAB towards achievement of highly prestigious and noble goal of ‘corruption-free Pakistan’.

“However, this goal may not be achieved without fixing the structural issue and then solving the same,” the Apca letter said.

Apca assured NAB of its full support to probe the Multan Metro bus project or any other construction project, but said: “We feel that complex construction issues and disputes between construction companies and government are being dragged into criminal jurisdiction.

“This appears to be due to lack of understanding and expertise of NAB’s investigation officers with International Federation of Consulting Engineers [FIDIC] conditions, besides other complex technical and contractual matters. We strongly feel that contractual disputes and audit objections need to be segregated from criminal proceedings.”

It said the construction sector of Pakistan was running businesses worth trillion of rupees, giving employment to millions of people and making huge investments in the local market.

“It may also be considered that we are the engines of growth and contribute towards national economy in various ways by paying highest direct and indirect taxes, generating highest direct and indirect employment of workforce, driving industries of steel, cement, glass, tiles as being major consumers of such products. Pakistan’s construction industry is second to none in the world and a national asset.

“We are the ones building dams, roads, motorways, houses, schools, universities and hospitals for the nation of international standards and at most economical prices,” the letter said.

The NAB chief was asked that the accountability drive must consider all such ground realities to become purposeful and result oriented.

90-day confinement

Apca demanded that the NAB power to arrest anyone for 90 days for investigation be sparingly used in exceptional circumstances where a businessman was not willing to cooperate with the bureau.

When contacted, Finance Minister Asad Umar said the business community had complained to the prime minister in several meetings about NAB’s role.

“As builders and contractors have genuine complaints, the prime minister has requested the NAB chief to give them some room,” said Mr Umar.

The minister said he was well aware of the concerns of the builders and contractors and the government was taking some steps to restore their confidence.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2018